Hi Everyone
I just want to put it out there, I have had crohns for 16yrs, diagnosed at 27. I have taken prednisone on and off for 16 yrs have been on remicade and numerous other medications that was ok for a while then I had to stop and was recently started on another medication July last year 2011 and that still was not working by Dec 2011 I had been on the contraceptive pill since i was 16 (now 42). Dec i was looking for a new pill for my daughter and was reading the contraindications of the pill i had been on all this time and it said "Cronhs and Ulcerative colits could be a side effect. Light bulb moment I wnet off the pill and within 1 week thaer was a small change in my crohns, within 1 month back to normal and feeling good, i was still taking the medication but has since weened my self off it and it has now been 7 months and I feel like the person i was before i had crohns no chnage in my bowel habit at all, not getting much support from Dr's in regards to this. So to all the women out there if u are on the pill just try going off it for a while and see if it works for you, i just feel this is a major breakthrugh that is never told to women, what the harm in trying to go off the pill, just practise safe sex for a while. I am no longer on anything for my crohns and haven't been for 6 mths. Please someone pay attention to this

My GI actually put me on the pill because I was not having my periods for months at a time due to malourishment. Quite a few women on the forum are on the pill. When going on birth control with Crohn's, you NEED to make sure that the pill is very low in estrogen. I was on Loesterin 24 FE & it had extremely small ammounts of estrogen in it. When I came off the pill, my ovarian cysts came back. The only difference when I was on the pill, Crohn's wise, was that the periods were painful. That's all. I'm off the pill now & still am in & out of the hospital. No medication or diet can control this flare.

Hi, Sorry to hear you have had no results in regards to going off the pill After stopping the pill (Triiqular ED) and things went back to normal I thought i would try an experiment by going on another pill (Yaz) as the oestrogen is lower, within 2 weeks things started to change and started to flare again so immediately stopped it and back to normal again. I do realise what works for me may not be the same for others, but if 1 person can be free from this terrible disease from stopping the pill that some Dr's dont consider as they hand it out like lollies it would just be the best thing, and if it works for 1 other they will mention it to someone else and who knows.

MONDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- The use of oral contraceptives by younger women or hormone therapy by older women may be linked with inflammatory bowel disease, new research indicates.

Birth control pills are associated with a higher risk for Crohn's disease, said researcher Dr. Hamed Khalili, a clinical and research fellow of gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Crohn's causes inflammation of the lining and wall of the large or small intestine, or both. The lining can become so inflamed it bleeds.

Hormone replacement therapy taken by some women after menopause is linked with ulcerative colitis, the study found. It is a disease of the colon (large intestine) or rectum. It causes diarrhea, abdominal cramping and rectal bleeding.

Khalili presented the findings Sunday at the Digestive Disease Week meeting, in San Diego.

Of the two links they found, Khalili said, the association with birth control pills and Crohn's is the most relevant to patients.

That is especially true, he said, for long-term users. "If you took oral contraceptives for more than five years, you have a threefold increased risk of Crohn's disease," he said.

For the study in younger women, Khalili and his colleagues looked at about 233,000 women enrolled in the large U.S. Nurses Health Studies I and II.

He looked at data from the beginning of the first study, 1976, through 2008. He found 309 cases of Crohn's disease and 362 of ulcerative colitis.

He compared those who never used birth control pills to those who did. Current users had a nearly three times greater risk of Crohn's disease. Those who used birth control pills had no increased risk of getting ulcerative colitis compared with never-users.

In the second study, he looked at the data from nearly 109,000 women past menopause. They were enrolled in the Nurses Health Study that began in 1976.

He followed them through 2008. He found 138 cases of Crohn's disease and 138 of ulcerative colitis.

Those on hormone therapy had a 1.7 times higher risk of ulcerative colitis, compared to never-users. No link was found with Crohn's disease.

While the studies uncovered an association between the hormone-based therapies and digestive problems, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

Still, how to explain the apparent connections? "We probably don't have a clear mechanism," Khalili said.

In animal studies, he said, researchers have found that the colon is more vulnerable to inflammation when estrogen is given. It changes the permeability of the colon, he explained.

The link is probably of more concern in younger women, said Dr. David Bernstein, a gastroenterologist and chief of hepatology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y.

In the study of older women, "the risk may be present, but it seems to be quite small," he said. The link appears stronger, he said, for oral contraceptive use and Crohn's disease.

Older women on hormone therapy probably do not need to be concerned, Bernstein said. More research may clarify that link.

However, "younger women on oral contraceptives need to be told that there is an increased risk," he added.

Khalili agreed. He said women on birth control pills who have a strong family history of IBD should especially be made aware of the research finding a link. A link is not a cause-and-effect relationship, but simply an association.

Still, he said, they should be aware, in case they want to pick another form of birth control.

Digestive Disease Week is jointly sponsored by four societies: the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the American Gastroenterological Association Institute, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract.

A co-author on both studies reports consulting work for Pfizer, Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Bayer AG.

Because this research was presented at a medical meeting, the data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

To learn more about inflammatory bowel disease, visit the American Gastroenterological Association..

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another article of the same caliber...this time on a government site

What’s The Connection?
So just how does the pill inflame the bowel? Well, we know that the contraceptive pill brings with it a risk of clots in the blood vessels inside the body. It’s therefore possible that the pill diminishes the blood supply to the intestines which can cause damage resulting in inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s. Moreover, a very small number of Crohn’s patients have found that their condition cleared up completely when they stopped taking the birth control pill.

Another site that explains IBD and the serious side effects of the Pill

Hi Gutless wonder, thank you so much for posting that article I can't tell u how happy that has made me. For 26yrs I have been taking the pill and not one Doctor even the gastroenterologist I see that treats my crohns has ever said anything, it was just dumb luck I stumbled upon it. i am going to try to contact the Dr mentioned in the article who did the research on the OCP and Crohns, so many women who have crohns and take the pill need to know this, it just may work. Instead of pumping your body with toxic drugs that treat crohns (that are a god send when u need them) but i was on my last option and that wasn't working so surgery was the next step for me, so i was lucky an angel tapped me on the shoulder and I read up about the pill that i was taking. Thank you again for posting that article

your welcome healthy. I've done much research on how the pill does interact with several Crohn's medications such as antibiotics--it cancels out the birth control.

It's a known fact that people, especially women who have IBD are prone to clotting when they flare as their blood tends to become "sticky" when there is inflammation in the body. It increases the chances over 50% if a hormone is added that a DVT or PE will occur.

Some folks will say it works for their female issues like endo, which is GREAT if it does, certain people will buy into the idea that the mini pill is better and much"safer" and tell others that it's the way to go if they are a high risk not realizingor haven't done the research of it's side effectsor that some other patients may have clotting disorders, seizures, heart issues, along with IBD where it MAY NOT be used per their own physician's orders because there are consequences which can be serious or even life threatening such as an ectopic pregnancy if the pill happens to cause break through bleeding and ovulation occurs or a serious drug interaction with seizure meds.

That's why it's best to take the time to read up on the treatments and talk to a professional so in case something serious happens, you know what it is and how to treat it.

I've read up on the mini pill and here is one of many reference guides on it and it basically says the SAME THING regarding side effects and possible drug interactions.

Click on the progestin only reference guide after you click on the link.

• Heavy bleeding, severe cramps, pain, or fever may be caused by
infection.
• Abdominal pain may be due to an ovarian cyst or an ectopic
pregnancy.

If you develop these symptoms
• Call or immediately come to Urgent Care 510- 642-3188 or other
emergency medical facility.
• Call 911 for an ambulance in an extreme emergency.

Most Common Minipill Complications

Menstrual cycle irregularities including spotting, breakthrough bleeding, prolonged cycles, and amenorrhea are the major problems encountered by
women on progestin-only pills. Functional ovarian cysts appear to occur at a slightly more frequent rate among progression-only pill users. When a pregnancy occurs in a woman using progestin-only pills, it is more likely to be ectopic (not in the uterus, usually in a Fallopian tube).

The Minipill and Other Drugs

The minipill may have adverse interactions with some other medications. In some cases (e.g., with most anti-seizure medications) contraceptive effectiveness is lowered.In a few cases another drug may reach a toxic level in combination with the minipill.Be sure to inform your clinician and pharmacist at each visit of any medications, including non-prescriptions drugs, which you are taking.

• Always advise any clinician that you see for any medical problem, especially if admitted to a hospital or before surgery, that you are
taking birth control pills.
The Minipill doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
Even though you are taking the minipill, seriously consider using condoms as well in order to help protect each other form sexually transmitted diseases.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE BETTER YOU CAN DECIDE WHAT IS SAFER FOR YOU!! have a great weekend!!

<snip>
Some folks will say it works for their female issues like endo, which is GREAT if it does, certain people will buy into the idea that the mini pill is better and much"safer" and tell others that it's the way to go if they are a high risk not realizingor haven't done the research of it's side effectsor that some other patients may have clotting disorders, seizures, heart issues, along with IBD where it MAY NOT be used per their own physician's orders because there are consequences which can be serious or even life threatening such as an ectopic pregnancy if the pill happens to cause break through bleeding and ovulation occurs or a serious drug interaction with seizure meds.
That's why it's best to take the time to read up on the treatments and talk to a professional so in case something serious happens, you know what it is and how to treat it.
I've read up on the mini pill and here is one of many reference guides on it and it basically says the SAME THING regarding side effects and possible drug interactions.

Click on the progestin only reference guide after you click on the link.

Can I submit a defence here please. I said the mini-pill was safer due to the lower clotting risk, not that it was a safe medication in all areas. I said this because increased risk of clots is something that often comes up in relation to IBD/the Pill. From your own copied post on the mini-pill there is no mention of an increased risk of blood clots- so in that area it is not the same as the combined pill- from the same website the Combined pill article clearly states:

The most serious risk of combined contraceptives, including the Pill, is the potential for cardiovascular complications: blood clots,stroke, hypertension, or heart attack. These side-effects are extremely rare and occur most often in women who smoke, who are
over age 35, who have other health problems like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, vascular disease, or blood clots, and those
who have a family history of diabetes or heart attack under the age of 50. If you smoke, you may have an increased risk for
developing major complications. Young, healthy, non-smoking women can use the Pill with very little risk of developing serious
complications. Learn the Pill Danger Signs listed above.

So I don't see how you can argue they are "the same thing". Especially since I was talking specifically about the clotting risk- unless you are trying to twist my words, in which case the risks apart from clots, are bascially the same. But I was only taking about clots, not as you suggest presenting it as a safe drug for everyone.

I said in the same post that anyone thinking of the Pill should talk to their GI and a Gynae, so they can go through all the risks and make an informed choice. Come to think of it if anyone is already on it then they also should go ahead and speak to their Drs, I check every year with the Nurse it is still appropriate for me at my regular Pill health checks- personally I find the Nurse is more up to date than the GP as she deals with it alot more often! In fact I was changed last year because my previous one was no longer appropriate. I am certainly pro-active regarding medications and woudn't tolerate medical care whereby I am given something and just left on it. The patient and the Dr both have a responsibility and a role to play.

If anyone is still reading you can see my original, unedited response here

certain people will buy into the idea that the mini pill is better and much"safer" and tell others that it's the way to go if they are a high risk not realizingor haven't done the research of it's side effectsor that some other patients may have clotting disorders, seizures, heart issues, along with IBD where it MAY NOT be used per their own physician's orders because there are consequences which can be serious or even life threatening such as an ectopic pregnancy if the pill happens to cause break through bleeding and ovulation occurs or a serious drug interaction with seizure meds.

So let's see, I presented it as a safer (safer- not safe) option in regards to clotting alone, and advised multi-medical consultation before going on the Pill. None of the accusations stand-up i'm afraid.

Hi
Im not sure if people are missing the point but we all know the pill either mini pill or the normal ocp have its benefits and side effects (many) and i know we all see Dr's and think they have our best intrests at heart, all i can say is conduct the experiment if u want, go off the pill if u are not on it for another medical reason see if your crohns clears up or you can just keep going, but i for one am 100% happy I conducted this experiment cause every Dr i have mentioned this to has just blown this off but it has worked for me and i no longer have any symptoms of crohns. If this helps 1 person im extremly happy

Stargrl, I wasn't even talking to you in this post so why try and start something when I did NOT mention your name?? I'm only posting my opinion and showing support for the OP which is allowed after all. So PLEASE don't try to start any trouble.

"The blood clot issue can easily be solved by taking the "mini pill" ie the pregesterone only pill. There is a much lesser chance of blood clots when taking this pill.This is also suitable for many women who can't take the combined pill for reasons such as being overweight, high blood pressure or a smoker.

and not ONCE did you state to see a physician before using the medication or that there can be serious drug interactions.

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You come across as the mini pill is THE answer for everything BUT have failed to mention that certain medications can and do interfere with it as well like seizure medication. Also, you never mentioned that the mini pills effectiveness is lower.

And you failed to mention this every time you recommend the mini pill and I quote from the above website:

Minipills do not consistently suppress ovulation, as do combination pills. The menstrual bleeding pattern varies from regular to irregular to absent. Under ideal conditions, the contraceptive effectiveness of
minipills is slightly lower than the effectiveness of combination pills, but somewhat greater than that of barrier methods.

So again I state that I was just supporting the OP and showing her information from what I've researched. Your name is not posted in the above comment.

If someone puts forward a reasonable argument that disagrees with your view point you shouldn't be upset, this is an open forum and people are entitled to their own views. thank you and good night.

Oh, and I have NEVER verbally said word for word that the hormonal birth control is evil. I have only shared up-to-date articles written by doctors and other professionals on their views of family planning/side effects/serious issues as an FYI and that there are safer alternatives that are very effective such as NFP, Marquette, Creighton, and Billings method but you are so against them for whatever opinion you may have.

And I quote you: " I see NFP promoting the evils, and not the benefits such as a well documented risk of decreasing some cancers (alongside the evidence that it increases others of course)." NFP and the other mentioned methods are SAFE and reliable. There is NO serious drug interactions at all, it can be used to avoid or achieve a pregnancy, it works w/your fertility and not against it, it can be used to detect and help MDs treat some female problems like PCOS, endo,infertility to name a few. So HOW IS THAT EVIL?? Promoting the well being of women.... IT'S NOT EVIL. IT has nothing to do with harmful synthetic chemicals . There are NONE. It works w/a woman's body not against it. So I fail to see where the so called evil is present. you are afraid to admit that is it healthy for a woman's well being and fertility b/c you are so use to the stuff you take and refuse to read up on what has been very effective and documented as such.

I noticed you didn't attack the OP here as you have done to me in the past. I have no idea whyyou want to start something with me because I certainly do not.I'm glad you can talk to your doctor and what not. good for you. Let's just get on with our life and stay healthy. I certainly am.

I'm very happy for you that going off of the pill has made you feel better and your Crohn's symptoms subside! I really do wish it worked for everyone!

i was diagnosed with Crohn's at 15 and did not start taking the pill until I was 20. i went off of the pill when I ended up pregnant (obviously)!! Anyway, that's been about 2 years now I haven't taken the pill and I still have not gotten any better! It would be amazing if this would be a fix for everyone Thanks for sharing that information and your story! Maybe your post will help some others out here as well!!

Hi, it's interesting hearing of everyones different experiences, I am thankful that my diagnosis was later in life at 28 and have not have had surgery, i work in the health industry as a clinical coder and read everyday someone who has crohns and the treatment they are on or surgery they had had and some of the young people who are having to have surgery in their 20's. Sorry to hear for some people that the pill has not made a diiference to their symptons, I guess i am 1 of the lucky ones. I think it's great we hear from people all over the world, myself, my husband and daughter spent 5 weeks in the US for dec through to jan and spent NYE in vegas, we drove from LA up to San Francisco back to LA and then on to vegas and then back to LA for a few days before home. I can't wait to go back might start back in Nevada and see more of that then drive our way to NY but i think next time will do it in spring as it was a bit chilly especially in San Francisco. So it would be good to get some tips on where to go and what to see along the way that the usual tourist doesn't know about.

I know this is an old post but wanted to add a reply as a 'study case!' I went on the pill aged 22. Developed 'IBS' son after (didnt put 2 and 2 together) eventually diagnosed with 'limited but resistant proctitis/colitis which I couldn't get under control for 7 years, blood loss every single day, 10 plus bowel movements every day, had to leave my job, couldn't go out for walks etc etc. Tried every natural remedy going as refused to take oral steroids, though I did try prednisone, asacol suppositories which seemed to exacerbate matters.

Came off the pill aged 29 (doctors advice due to migraines) I was also drinking hot water with half a lemon squeezed into it at this time before meal times (as had read about it helping 'alkalise the system'. I'm not sure of the time scale but it was definitely within a month, all symptoms just stopped... Have now been entirely symptom free for over 4 years and I mean nothing, no bloating, no mucous or blood even once, can eat anything I like, stomach of steel.

All I know if that I came off the pill and drank lemon juice (and still do) so you can draw your own conclusions but just wanted to give a bit of hope to people in the position I was in. Don't accept defeat, keep researching as it possible to get your life back.

Sally177: you are the only one I've read so far mentioning migraines and the BCP. I believe you said you came off the Pill so what have you done for the migraines? I was diagnosed with Crohn's and surgery in 1991 after taking BCP for only a few months. Symptom free til now. Recently put on Loestrin (generic Microgestin) for my migraines and it's working great for that. But suddenly stomach cramping and diarrhea. (Am now very concerned after reading this blog.) I will gladly come off the BCP if I can get help for migraines!

How bad and how frequent are your migraine? Are they only (or mostly) hormono-dependant? I know that mine are reduced a lot by daily exercise and supplement of calcium/magnesium. I never agreed to take BCP, actually, it was a good thing as my ObGyn decided that was not suited for me. The only thing I can possibly have is progesterone only (which is not suppose to help migraine). Also, you might want to give a try to gluten free if you never have. I've seen a few people mention that it helped reduce the frequence of migraines. The exposure to gluten for someone who is intolerant is a great trigger for migraine... many don't necessarily experience digestive symptoms related to it so, not much to do other than trying.

__________________Diagnosed UC 1999 then refractory CD.Past Meds: Prednisone, asacol, cyclosporine, cyclophosphamide, mp6, HumiraCurrently taking: Omega-3, D-3, med-free for the time being.~~Oh! n sorry if what I write seems strange at times, English is not my main language!~~You'd like to chat and feel facebook would ease this point,
send me a private message and i'll do so =)

Previously I was on bio-identical hormones which did wonders for my migraines but last fall I was diagnosed with PASH in the breasts which, as the drs. explained, is due to the progesterone combined with estrogen combo. (these cysts cannot be identified until biopsied....no other way). So I came off the hormones and the migraines came back, increasingly worse each month. That's why I started on the BCP in August. Migraines much better, virtually gone. Just so concerned now about the other repercussions that are possible. I take the magnesium as well but doesn't seem to help anything. They are definitely hormones headaches. I'm 46 so lots of hormonal fluctuations going on. Thanks for any input!

Hi Sally177
I am so pleased that someone has had the same experience as me. More women that have Crohns or colitis just need to conduct the experiment of going off the pill to just try to see it works, I started to notice a difference within the week and within a month no symptoms. I also have now been totally symptom free and have a really stressful time with my daughter at the moment and still nothing, normally when I get stressed about something it will flare up up but nothing. It is going on 2 yrs for me now and i can just feel it within myself that it is gone. I have mentioned this to various Dr's but they just blow it off and say Crohns has no relation to the pill. Well I for 1 am a living example that for some it is exactly that.

I haven't found problems with birth control pills, personally. I have some undiagnosed (so far apparently un-diagnosable) hormone issues and am on a birth control pill and another anti-androgen medication. My disease started years before I ever went on the pill - although I wasn't diagnosed, I began having Crohn's symptoms at around age 13. Hormone symptoms didn't start until I was just into my twenties, and I hadn't been on the pill before that. I don't believe hormone medications have affected my Crohn's at all, but I did have some stomach upset when I first started taking them, for a few weeks. They can cause digestive symptom side effects in non-Crohn's people, and although Crohn's perhaps made me more sensitive to these side effects, since after continuing to take birth control for a few weeks I went back to the symptom level I'd been at prior to starting the pill, I don't believe it actually affected the severity of my Crohn's disease. I've now been on hormones and birth control a couple of years, and haven't noticed any other changes in my Crohn's symptoms.

Also the hormone pills keep my hormonal symptoms completely under control, which is a huge benefit.

Thanks UnXmas for your reply. It's nice to know a success story with the BCP. It does seem to be keeping the migraines at bay and I believe I'm past the worst of the side effects now. I'm feeling better than last week so I think I just brought back a bug from vaca but I like to stay on top of things.

Just throwing a couple of thoughts into the mix - mainly to see what facts we can glean from the information in this discussion...
Like many women, I took the ocp on and off through my reproductive years. Now in my late 50's, Crohn's only became symptomatic and diagnosed for me around the onset of menopause. (8years ago)
I am technically in remission now - gut is generally fairly quiet, and EIM's seem to settle with topical steroid cream...
Interestingly tho, having been prescribed topical oestrogen to use ~twice a week, I notice that I am often "reminded" to reapply it because the Crohn's seems to become just a little unsettled..
Suspect there's more work to be done on the role of hormones in IBD development

Suspect there's more work to be done on the role of hormones in IBD development

HD

I've thought this before too, mainly because for me it came on with adolescence, which I've heard is quite common. I've heard it can be better during pregnancy too, though that may be more down to changes in the immune system than to hormones?

I stopped taking birth control November 2012, I thought it was causing horrendous mood swings, and it was, but once I stopped taking it within weeks my crohns had completely settled, I felt amazing the whole of 2013, however I'm married and we need birth control. So I started looking for another bc pill earlier this year, I was looking for one that controlled acne and was unlikely to cause mood swings, I didn't however think that it had a link to the crohns, 6 weeks ago I stared taking yasmin and 5 weeks ago I started having one of the worst flares I've ever had. Ive stopped taking it 5 days ago and the flare is settling.

I haven't read all the responses, but I do want to throw this out there since we're getting this conversation going again. If not on birth control, I'm in incredible amounts of pain (sitting, standing, going to the bathroom all hurt), and my iron drops considerably. It's a week of misery. I either have endometriosis or my hormone levels are severely effecting my Crohn's (I suspect the endo, as my Crohn's is in remission anyway). Many women have more symptoms while on their period, and as birth control regulates hormone levels, it often helps with this. Additionally, many women with Crohn's have endometriosis.

I have been on birth control fairly consistently since I was thirteen (just shortly after my periods began), but my Crohn's symptoms started years prior to this. I was put on the birth control because doctors seemed to think I couldn't tell the difference between cramps and stomach pain.

__________________

Sarah.
Diagnosed with Crohn's disease 12/6/08.
Have taken: Prednisone, 6mp, methotrexate, Pentasa.
Currently waiting for a new medication!